Wow! Son Of A Filipino Farmer Made It To The Harvard University

Poverty is an issue that many of our nation’s children are facing right now. Many of them couldn’t enroll nor can afford to acquire education, even in public schools because of poverty.

On the other hand, many of us also believe that good education has the power to change our life to be better. But the challenge is—how can we overcome poverty with the help of education if it’s not easy to achieve.

This is the story of Romnick Blanco, a rice and vegetable farmer and housewife son who was granted a full scholarship from Harvard University—one of the most prestigious schools in the world. Romnick was the seventh of nine sons who grew up in a small municipality in the northern foothills of the Sierra Madre.

His story can bring a constant reminder that we should not stop believing that our dreams can come true.

Romnick used to walk miles just to get to school, which also involved crossing a bridge-less river under the scorching heat almost every day. He endured all the hardships along the way, just to fulfill his hope of having a better life for his family and their community.

In 2011, Romnick became a sponsored child of a local charity foundation called GreenEarth Heritage that assisted impoverished farmers’ children by giving them the ancillary costs of a public school including a free access to English and computer literacy classes.

He was able to pursue his studies despite their family’s economic status with the help of this sponsorship.

The foundation noticed his commitment to his studies, and through their vision, dedication, and support, they grant him a five-year scholarship in one of the country’s oldest international high schools – the International School Manila. Romnick graduated from this school on May 26, 2017.

After graduating, the blessing of the Lord didn’t stop there, Romnick was surprised that he passed the four full scholarships by four prestigious universities, including in the UAE – Harvard, Dartmouth, Wesleyan University and New York University in Abu Dhabi.

Of the four prestigious universities, Romnick accepted the offer from Harvard and started school this 2018. He had a full scholarship to Harvard that covers his full tuition, plane tickets, accommodation and clothing.

Romnick hopes that more farmers’ children like him would be given the same opportunities he was given.